ERIC INEKE – THE ULTIMATE SIDEMAN Eric Ineke has been an integral part of the Dutch jazz scene since the 1960’s. He is considered the ultimate sideman by many at home and abroad. With a combination of solid craftsmanship and infectious enthusiasm, he has emerged over the years as an important ambassador of bebop and hard bop. Not least for the youngest generations of musicians, with whom he keeps the fire of jazz burning both at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where he still teaches, and during masterclasses abroad. Students love to drink his beautiful anecdotes about legendary musicians like Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin and George Coleman, all of whom were lucky enough to share the stage with Eric. He was part of illustrious bands such as the Rein de Graaff Trio, the Piet Noordijk Quartet and the Ben van den Dungen/Jarmo Hoogendijk Quintet. In 2006 Eric founded his own formation, The Eric Ineke JazzXpress, that quickly grew into one of the country’s most in-demand jazz formations. Not surprising when you realize that the group consists of the 'fine fleur' of the Dutch jazz scene. Over the years, the JazzXpress has played with guest soloists such as Deborah Brown and Ronnie Cuber. The band has since recorded eight albums, the latest of which together with alto saxophonist Tineke Postma: 'What Kinda Bird Is This', a tribute to one of Eric's greatest heroes, Charlie Parker. When Eric turned 70 in 2017 he was knighted by the deputy mayor of Amsterdam on behalf of the Dutch King, as Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau, for his unbridled dedication to the Dutch Jazz scene. And now, five years later, he still travels the world playing the music that he loves so much, and keeps on to inspire the new generations of jazz musicians. In his current project, entitled Norway, he pays tribute to legendary piano player Frans Elsen, performing the ‘Norwegian cycle’ that Elsen composed in the 1970’s. With this new programme Eric played the North Sea Jazz Festival this year, a festival where he has performed for over 40 times. The show was broadcast on Dutch national TV. Text: Jurjen Donkers